DVD and Blu-ray Releases for October 15th, 2013

October 14th, 2013

It's a good week on the home market with two $100 million hits coming out: The Heat and Pacific Rim. I've heard good things about both films, but unfortunately, neither screener has arrived. Also, while we have two big release on top, there's not a lot of depth and we quickly run into releases that would be filler during a normal week. At the time I started this column, no new releases for the week had arrived on time, but at least that gave me a chance to get a bit caught up on some of the previous late arrivals. This list includes two contenders for Pick of the Week: White Collar: Season Four and Modern Family: Season Four on DVD or Blu-ray. Both are must haves, but the latter won out for Pick of the Week honors.

The Colony - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film opened in limited release, but with a Tomatometer Score of just 14%. Needless to say, it went nowhere at the box office. It is selling better on the home market, but then again, it is a rather shallow week. Unless you are really into sci-fi thriller and love the cast, you have better options out there.

Defiance: Season One - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Syfy TV show that also has a video game tie in. Supposedly, the events of the TV show will change the nature of the MMO game, and vice versa. I don't know if that's actually true, but I do know both the game and the TV show have earned mixed reviews. If you like the genre, there are both better TV shows and better games to spend your time and money on.

Dirty Wars - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about the War on Terror and how the normal rules of engagement have been thrown out. The reviews are excellent and it is worth picking up for fans of documentaries.

Drug War - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A Chinese-Hong Kong co-production about a druglord who is arrested and must become a informant to avoid the death sentence. The reviews are nearly perfect and fans of Asian cinema should check it out.

The Fall, Series 1 - Buy from Amazon
A TV series from Ireland that stars Gillian Anderson as a police detective searching for a serial killer. The TV show's reviews are really good, but there are only five one-hour episodes on this two-disc set, so the price-per-minute is really high. That said, this is common for imports.

Gravity Falls: Six Strange Tales - Buy from Amazon
The first DVD for this cartoon. This is one of several cartoons out right now that have attracted an audience among some adults as well. This show, Regular Show, Adventure Time, Phineas and Ferb, etc. are all high quality shows that are worth checking out, even if you are an adult.

Hart of Dixie: The Complete Second Season - Buy from Amazon
A TV show that airs on The CW. For those who have never heard of it, The CW is a TV network that was formed when WB and UPN merged. That's a joke. You see, when I said "never heard of it", you thought "it" meant the TV show, not the network, but the network's ratings are so bad, that most people have probably never heard of the entire network. The show stars Rachel Bilson as a doctor who moves from New York City to a small town called Bluebell, Alabama. The reviews were weak, but the ratings were strong, at least they are strong enough for the CW. On a side note, when you put out a TV on DVD release, make sure it comes out a week before the new season starts, not a week after.

A Hijacking - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This film tells a very similar story as Captain Phillips, but focuses more on the corporate owners of the ship that is hijacked by the Somali pirates. The reviews are amazing, while there are enough extras to be worth picking up, although it is not overloaded.

Jug Face - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
A horror film that opened in limited release. It should come as no surprise it couldn't find an audience, as horror films almost never do well in limited release. However, given its reviews it could do well on the home market. I will have a better idea, once the screener arrives.

Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 2000 - Buy from Amazon
This show is one of the longest running shows of all time. There are so many DVD releases for this show, so many that I don't know what else to say with each new release.(Copy editor: the last episode was first shown in August 2010, it was the end of the 31st series, so I think they have released all the series now).

Maniac - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray Combo PackElijah Wood stars as a serial killer who had gone dormant for year, but when he meets an artist, Nora Arnezeder, his compulsion to kill rises again. The film's reviews were mixed, which explains why it didn't find an audience in limited release, but it is good enough for the home market. The DVD and the Blu-ray are not devoid of extras, but there's only a making of featurette, which doesn't lift it past the rental level.

Modern Family: Season Four - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
One of a handful of late releases I was able to get to this week. I'm slowly catching up. Was it worth the wait? Or has the show finally peaked? Read our review for my opinion.

Plush - Buy from AmazonEmily Browning stars as a musician who is dealing with the death of her brother and fellow bandmate. She becomes close to her new bandmate, Enzo, but this relationship becomes troubled. The reviews are mixed and it went nowhere at the box office. If you do like the star, or perhaps the director, it is worth checking out, but it is a rental at best.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Season Five - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
This might be the end of the show on TV. It depends on what is happening with the sixth and final season. There seems to be some confusion on the matter. The series earned mostly very good reviews and even picked up a couple Daytime Emmy wins to go with its numerous other nominations. It's worth picking up if you are a fan of the series or of Star Wars in general.

Untold History of the United States - Buy from Amazon: Blu-ray
A 12-part history documentary by Oliver Stone. Strangely, it is only coming out on Blu-ray this week.

Vikings: Season One - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
I might get a screener for this TV on DVD release. The reviews are mostly good, while the ratings have been great for The History Channel. I'm looking forward to seeing it.